Learning to Love, Trust, and Fight
by firegirl131
Summary: After eight years of experimenting, Tiffany was able to escape her prison. She ran into the Ronins but Tiffany has little trust in people now. The Ronins show Tiffany how to love and trust again; but when Tiffany spends more time with the Ronins, they find out why Tiffany was experimented on. Now what happens when Talpa finds out about this.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone, and no; this is not the sequel to Never Alone. This is a new story and I've had this idea for a while now.**

**I don't own Ronin Warriors but I do own Tiffany.**

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Chapter 1

A young girl with long blond hair and blue eyes stumbled through the forest. Her arms and legs were layered with puncture wounds and dried blood caked her skin. Her skin was very pale and she was so thin that her bones were visible. Her wrists and ankles were chained and while the girl walked, the chains clanked. The girl's stomach rumbled and the girl tried to remember when she last ate. _Eight years,_ the girl thought. She did get food at the place she was at, but it wasn't a meal three times a day. It was a loaf of bread that she had to survive on for a month.

Suddenly, a wafting scent penetrated the air and the girl was captivated. She walked through the forest, following the scent that would hopefully lead her to food.

* * *

Ryo Sanada was sitting at a campsite, staring off into space. He couldn't stop thinking about Talpa and the Dynasty. He and his friends thought that they had defeated Talpa but they were wrong. A little over a week ago did Talpa appear and said that he was planning on taking the armors and controlling the human world. Ryo and his friends decided that they needed to train so they left and were camping out, training and learning how to control the white armor of Inferno.

Ryo smirked as he thought of his friends. Sage Date was the bearer of the armor of Halo. He was the healer of the group, literally. Sage found out that he had healing powers a few weeks ago and he was a big help when the guys were training. Cye Mouri was the bearer of the armor of Torrent. He wasn't much of a fighter but he would fight to protect those he cared about. Cye sought reason rather than fighting things out. Kento Rei Faun was the bearer of the armor of Hardrock and was the complete opposite of Cye. Kento tended to charge into things head first without thinking it through; that was also the reason he got into trouble a lot. Rowen Hashiba was the bearer of the armor of Strata. He was the planner of the group and would always think things through.

"Ryo?"

Ryo turned around and saw Sage standing there, with White Blaze beside him. White Blaze walked up to Ryo and nuzzled his charged. White Blaze was Ryo's white tiger and was loyal to the end. The tiger helped the Ronins through their battles with the Dynasty; along with Mia Koji and little Yulie.

"What is it, Sage?" Ryo asked.

"Dinner's ready."

Ryo nodded and followed Sage to the campsite, where Rowen, Kento, and Cye were sitting by a fire. Cye was standing by a pot, stirring the food, while Rowen and Kento waited. Well, Rowen waited; Kento was eager to eat the food.

"Kento, wait," Cye said. "I'm almost done."

"I'm starving!" whined Kento.

"You can wait patiently, like Rowen."

Kento groaned and sat down.

"Patience and Kento don't go together, Cye," commented Sage.

"Hey!" yelled Kento.

They all started to laugh. Cye was able to finish the dinner and poured the food for the guys into bowls. The guys started to eat and Ryo thought he heard something. Ryo turned around but he didn't see anything. Thinking it was his imagination, Ryo turned back around and continued to eat his food.

* * *

Later that night, the guys were all asleep and the fire was put out. Ryo was in his sleeping bag, sleeping peacefully when he heard growling. Ryo awoke and saw White Blaze with his teeth bared. "What's wrong, boy?" White Blaze continued to growl and Ryo suddenly saw a hand stick out and grasp a bag that all of the food was stored in. "Hey!" Ryo yelled, waking everyone up and making the hand freeze. The guys saw the hand grab the bad and disappear with it.

"Come back here!" Kento yelled, running into the forest. The guys got up and followed Kento, knowing nothing good could come from Kento chasing after something. They were able to catch up to Kento and continued to run after the person that stole the bag.

Suddenly, a small yelp filled the air and struggling could be heard coming from beyond the trees. The guys looked at each other and nodded before springing through the trees.

The young girl sat there, staring at the guys with wide eyes. Fear filled the girl's eyes and her body was trembling. The chains were wrapped around a log, trapping the girl. She clutched the bag as she stared at the guys. The guys looked at each other and then looked back at the girl. Kento reached into his pocket and took out a pocket knife. The girl's eyes widen and she started to struggle to try to get away.

"Hey," Ryo said, slowly walking up to the girl. "We're not going to hurt you; we want to help you." Ryo gestured for the knife and Kento it to him. Ryo looked at the girl and saw tears appearing in her eyes.

"Please don't hurt me," begged the girl.

"I won't." Ryo took the knife and proceeded to take off the chains. The girl looked up at him and Ryo smiled at the girl. "What's your name?"

The girl hesitated before answering, "Tiffany."

"I'm Ryo, and may I have the bag back?"

Tiffany looked at the bag she clutched and looked back at Ryo. Ryo noticed that Tiffany had a begging look in her eyes and she probably wanted something to eat. "If you give me the bag, I'll give you some food." Tiffany slowly held out the bag and Ryo took it from her. Ryo opened the bag and took out a small bag of chips. He gave it to Tiffany and Tiffany snatched the bag from him. She hastily opened the bag and started to eat the food. Tiffany finished the chips in a matter of seconds and was licking the crumbs off her fingers. She looked up at Ryo and Ryo held out his hand. Tiffany flinched away but saw that Ryo was holding out his hand to her. She took his hand and Ryo helped Tiffany up. Ryo wrapped an arm around Tiffany's shoulders. "Come on, let's get you feed and warmed up." Ryo led Tiffany back to the campsite with the others following behind.

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**Please review and tell me what you think**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello. Sorry I took so long but I had a major writer's block. Anyway, here is the next chapter. I don't own Ronin Warriors but Tiffany belongs to me.**

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Chapter 2

The guys arrived back at the campsite and led Tiffany over to one of the sleeping bags. Ryo helped Tiffany to sit down while Cye walked off to make some food for Tiffany. Sage walked over to one of the bags and took out a blanket. He handed it to Ryo, who wrapped it around Tiffany. Tiffany pulled the blanket closer to her and looked at the guys. They were being so kind to her and she didn't even know why. Tiffany tried to remember the last time someone showed kindness to her but she couldn't remember.

Cye walked up to her, holding a bowl of stew. "Here you go," Cye said, handing Tiffany the bowl. Tiffany took the bowl and stared at the stew. She hesitantly took a bite of the stew and, when she realized that the stew wasn't poisonousness or anything, Tiffany ate the rest of the stew. Tiffany held out the bowl to Cye. "More please."

The guys were surprised by how fast Tiffany ate but they understood since Tiffany probably didn't eat anything for a while. Cye took the bowl and filled it to the brim with stew. He gave it back to Tiffany and Tiffany finished that bowl as well. She held out her bowl for thirds when Kento snatched the bowl out of her hands.

"You're not eating all of our food!"

Tiffany hid behind Ryo and started shaking. Ryo looked at Kento and glared at him. "We're supposed to help her; not scare her."

"I'm just trying to keep our food rations," said Kento. "What happens when we run out of food?"

"Kento, it's not like we're stranded in the woods. If we run out of food, then we go back to Mia's," said Rowen.

"It's not like all of the food is for you, Kento," Ryo said. "Besides, I think Tiffany needs it more than you do."

Kento looked at Tiffany and saw that she was still shaking. He now felt bad for scaring Tiffany and his expression softened. "I'm sorry, Tiffany. I didn't mean to yell at you."

Tiffany peeked out from behind Ryo and nodded, forgiving Kento. "I never got your names," Tiffany said.

"I'm Sage."

"Cye, nice to meet you."

"Name's Kento."

"My name is Rowen."

Tiffany looked at Ryo. "And your name is Ryo."

Ryo smiled. "Yes it is."

"Tiffany, are you still hungry?" Rowen asked. "Don't worry about Kento; he's always like this when it comes to food."

"May I have some more?" asked Tiffany.

"Of course," Cye said, and then looked at Kento. He gave the bowl back to Cye and Cye filled the bowl with stew. Cye gave Tiffany the bowl and Tiffany ate the stew.

"I think we should go back to Mia's," said Sage.

Everyone looked at him. "Why do you say that?" Ryo asked.

"Well, we've been out for at least a month now and I think we can take care of Tiffany better at a house than in a forest."

"Who's Mia?" asked Tiffany.

"Mia is a really good friend of ours," explained Ryo. "She can fix you up and get you back on your feet in no time."

"Thank you."

"We should get some sleep," said Rowen. "It'll be a long journey back tomorrow."

"Wait, where will Tiffany sleep?" asked Cye. "We only have five sleeping bags."

"She can use mine," answered Ryo. "I'll lean against White Blaze."

Tiffany was about to ask who that was when a white tiger walked up to them. She stared at the tiger then held out her hand. White Blaze sniffed Tiffany's hand and then placed his head against her head. Tiffany smiled and scratched White Blaze, earning a purr from him. "He's cute."

"I'm surprised. Normally when someone sees White Blaze they get scared."

"Tigers only attack people when they feel threatened or they're trying to protect their loved ones. This one knows I won't do any of those things."

_Smart girl,_ Ryo thought. _She knows a lot for someone who was treated this badly._

"I had a life before I was kidnapped," said Tiffany. "I'm not that stupid."

Ryo widen his eyes. _Can she hear my thoughts?_

Tiffany smirked. "There is a lot you don't know about me, Ryo." She moved into the sleeping bag and closed her eyes. "Goodnight." She then fell asleep.

* * *

While everyone else was sleeping, Ryo was wide awake and staring at the stars. His mind was racing and he couldn't sleep. Ryo didn't know why, but he wanted to know more about Tiffany. He looked at Tiffany and saw her curled up in a sleeping bag. Ryo smiled; Tiffany looked so peaceful as she slept. Ryo saw bruises around Tiffany's shoulder and neck line and his smile faded. He wanted to know who would be so cruel as to hurt her and starve her to death. _I will find out who did this,_ Ryo promised to himself. He leaned against White Blaze and fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning, everyone was up and eating breakfast. Tiffany was surprised that Kento could eat so much and not get sick from it. "Does he always eat like this?" Tiffany asked the guys.

They nodded. "We had to pack a lot of food because we knew that it would be gone within a week," said Rowen.

"It's not my fault that I like to eat!" called Kento.

"Hey, we should get going if we want to be back before dark," Sage said, standing up. "I'll start packing."

"I'll help," said Rowen.

"Do you mind if I go off to clean up?" Tiffany asked. "I can take White Blaze with me to keep me safe."

The guys looked at each and silently came to a conclusion. "Sure, there's a lake not that far from here," said Ryo. "White Blaze can lead you; he knows where it's at."

"Thank you. Do you mind if I use this?" Tiffany held up the blanket.

"Yeah."

Tiffany walked off with White Blaze following her. They arrived at the lake and White Blaze stayed back to give Tiffany some privacy. Tiffany walked to the lake and then looked around, making sure no one was watching. She then raised her hands and the earth formed a cylinder around a portion of the water. Tiffany stepped into the cylinder and stripped. She stepped into the water to find it ice-cold. Tiffany hovered her hand over the water and the water started bubbling. After a few minutes, Tiffany stopped and placed her foot into the water, testing the temperature. She smiled when the water was nice and warm. Tiffany got in the water and started to wash herself. She washed the dried blood and dirt that caked her skin and hair. When Tiffany was done, she stepped out of the water and closed her eyes. A wind gust appeared and dried Tiffany off. Tiffany grabbed the blanket and stared at it; an idea forming in her head.

* * *

Back at the campsite, the guys had finished packing and were now waiting for Tiffany and White Blaze to get back.

"I wonder what's taking them so long?" Cye wondered out loud.

Ryo looked at the forest and saw Tiffany and White Blaze walking towards them. His eyes then widen at what Tiffany was wearing. Tiffany had used the blanket to make a dress; the dress was short-sleeved and it came down to her knees. Her hair was pulled back and she held the remains of the blanket.

"I didn't want to wear the same clothes so I used the blanket," explained Tiffany. "I hope you don't mind."

"Its fine," said Sage. "Let's go back."

The guys left the campsite and headed back to Mia's.

* * *

It was around dinner time when they arrived at a mansion. Tiffany looked at the mansion with wide eyes. It was very big but also had a peaceful feel to it. She then felt someone nudge her and she looked up.

"Are you ok?" Ryo asked.

Tiffany didn't notice that she had stopped in her tracks and shook her head. Ryo rubbed her back and they moved forward. They walked into the mansion and Kento shouted, "We're back!" Running could be heard and a young boy that was probably nine or ten ran into the room.

"What took you guys so long?" the boy asked.

"Training doesn't take a few days, Yulie," said Rowen.

A young woman walked in and smiled at them. "Welcome back." She noticed Tiffany and Tiffany took a step back. "Who's this?"

"Mia, this is Tiffany," started Cye. "We found her in the forest. Do you think you can help her?"

"Of course." Mia held her hand out to Tiffany. "Come one, let's get you cleaned up."

Tiffany stared at Mia for a few minutes then slowly walked over to her. She placed her hand in Mia's and Mia led her upstairs to a bathroom. Mia took out a first-aid kit and started to clean and bandage Tiffany's wounds. After she was done, Mia put away the kit and then helped Tiffany up. "Are you hungry? I'm sure Cye is done with making dinner." Tiffany nodded and the two walked downstairs and into the kitchen. Cye looked up and smiled. "You're just in time; dinner's ready."

"Did you just say dinner is ready?" Kento asked, popping his head in.

"Yes, Kento; I did. Can you get the others?"

Kento left and yelling could be heard. Cye sighed and shook his head. The others filed into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Cye brought over a plate of pork chops, potatoes, and corn. Tiffany stared at the food and her stomach growled so loud that everyone could hear. She clutched her stomach and looked down, her cheeks turning red from embarrassment. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"Don't be," said Ryo.

"Ok, stop flirting with her," said Kento.

Now it was Ryo's turn to blush and Tiffany giggled at this. Everyone dug into the food and started eating. Tiffany filled her plate with the food and finished it within a matter of minutes. Mia was shocked as Tiffany went for another helping of food, but she saw how thin Tiffany was and knew that this girl needed the food.

After everyone was done, Mia showed Tiffany where she would sleep. Tiffany thanked her and Mia left Tiffany alone. After she was gone, Tiffany looked around the room. The room was white with a bed, dresser, a night stand, closet, and a desk. Tiffany saw down on the bed and was surprised by how soft it was. She leaned down and, once she pulled the covers over her, fell asleep.

* * *

Downstairs, Mia had asked Ryo if he would talk with her. They walked into the den to have some privacy.

"What is it, Mia?" Ryo asked.

"I think you should take Tiffany to a doctor," said Mia, and then saw the worried expression on Ryo's face. "There's nothing wrong with her but just to have a check-up; to make sure Tiffany doesn't have any internal damage or anything like that."

Ryo relaxed then nodded. "We'll take her after shopping. I have a feeling that whatever created those puncture wounds came from a needle and she'll probably be too shaken up to go shopping after the visit."

"Ok, thanks."

Ryo left the den and headed towards his room but not before stopping by Tiffany's room to check on her. He opened the door and peered inside; Tiffany was fast asleep. Ryo walked into the room and sat down on the bed. He moved stray hairs away from Tiffany's face then placed a kiss on Tiffany's forehead. "Sleep well, Tiffany." Ryo got up from the bed, walked out of the room, and gently closed the door behind him.

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**Review :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm back with another chapter. In this chapter, the Dynasty will make an appearance and Tiffany will show more of her powers.**

**I don't own Ronin Warriors but Tiffany is mine.**

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Chapter 3

Tiffany woke up the next morning and smiled. Today was going to be a new start for her and she was excited to go shopping. She hasn't been in the city for so long that she wanted to know what changes have been made or what new stores were out there. Yes, Tiffany loved to shop when she was little, especially with her mother.

Tiffany felt a pang in her heart and she walked over to the window. She looked out and stared at the lake shimmering behind the house. _Mother, father, I miss you so much,_ thought Tiffany as she looked at the scenery. _I hope to see you soon. _Tiffany walked away from the windows and walked over to the closet. She hoped that there would be something in the closet that she could wear; she didn't want to wear the same outfit twice. When Tiffany opened the door, a smile appeared on her face at what she saw; a simple cream-colored dress. Tiffany silently thanked Mia for lending her an outfit for the day.

* * *

Downstairs, the guys were already up and were eating breakfast. Cye was at the stove, making pancakes and bacon. The others were at the table, eating. Tiffany then came downstairs and smiled.

"Hello, Tiffany," greeted Cye. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," Tiffany answered, and then turned to Mia. "Thank you for lending me your dress, Mia."

"You're welcome."

"So, when are we going shopping?"

"We'll leave as soon as everyone is finished with breakfast," said Sage.

Tiffany nodded then grabbed a plate and filled it with three pancakes and two strips of bacon. She poured herself a glass of orange juice then sat down at the table with the others. Tiffany started to eat, trying to contain her excitement. Ryo noticed Tiffany's behavior and raised an eyebrow. "Do you like to shop?"

Tiffany looked at him. "Yeah, I love to shop."

"I'm guessing you won't be home until dinner," said Mia.

"Probably, but if we leave soon then we might be home earlier," said Rowen.

Kento suddenly finished his food and stood up. "Well, let's go then."

"I'm guessing he doesn't like to shop?" Tiffany asked.

The others nodded.

* * *

In the city, Ryo, Sage, Cye, Kento, Rowen, and Tiffany were walking around, looking at the different stores.

"I feel like Mia gave us too much money," said Tiffany.

"No, it's fine," said Cye. "Besides, Mia is very rich and she wanted you to get whatever you want."

Tiffany nodded but she still felt guilty that Mia was giving someone she barely knew money to buy clothes. Before they left, Mia gave the guys a thousand dollars. Tiffany tried to convince her that she didn't need that much but Mia insisted that she'd take. So Tiffany took it, with some convincing from the guys and Mia.

"Where do you want to go to first?" Ryo asked.

Tiffany didn't know until she saw a Kohl's store. They walked inside and Tiffany looked through the outfits to see what sizes they were and what looked good. After her arms were full of clothes, Tiffany walked into the dressing room while the guys waited for Tiffany to try on the clothes. When Tiffany tried on the clothes, she looked at three things: did it fight, how much was the price, and was it on sale. Mostly, Tiffany put the clothes back either if it was too much or it wasn't on sale.

After Kohl's, they went to JC Penny's, Carson's, and Macys. From those four stores, Tiffany bought 10 shirts, 8 pairs of jeans, 8 pairs of shorts, 7 skirts, and 5 dresses.

As they were walking, Tiffany saw Victoria's Secret and realized that she didn't buy any lingerie. "Um…guys." They stopped and turned to her. "I need to go in there." She gestured to the store and the guys blushed, they knew what the store sold there. "You can wait out here if you want."

"Yeah, we'll be in that store," Kento said, pointing to a store across from Victoria's Secret. Tiffany nodded and they parted to go to their desired store.

Tiffany walked into Victoria's Secret and looked at the different bras and panties. After looking for the three things she did at all the other stores, Tiffany decided to buy 7 pairs of bras and panties, and 2 strapless bras for some shirts that would need a strapless bra. Tiffany walked out of the store and headed over to where the guys were when someone grabbed her arm. She looked and saw two guys staring at her. One of them had long blond hair in a ponytail and golden eyes while the other one had short brown hair and brown eyes.

"Hey, little lady, why don't you spend some time with us?" suggested the blond-haired man.

"No thanks," Tiffany said, and then tried to pull her arm away but he held on.

"Come on, it'll be fun," said the brown-haired man. He then noticed the bag in Tiffany's hands. "Hey, Brian, looks like she has some accessories."

Brian looked at the bag and he smiled even bigger. "Why don't we go back to my place and we can play dress up?"

Tiffany widen her eyes. "N...No, let me go!"

"Don't worry, sweetheart; it'll be fun," said the brown-haired man.

"I think she needs some persuading, Max," Brian said, then grabbed her butt.

Tiffany's anger rose and, using her free hand, slapped Brian across the face. Brian's smile faded then raised his hand. "Why you little-" Brian was pushed off of Tiffany and Tiffany looked to see who was her rescuer. Ryo pushed Tiffany behind and faced Brian and Max.

"She said no," Ryo said.

"Oh, yeah?" Brian asked. "Well, there is two of us and only one of you."

The others then came and stood beside Ryo.

"Actually, there is five of us," said Kento.

Brian looked like he wanted to fight when Max stopped them. "Just leave them, Brian," said Max. "There are other girls in this city."

"That's true, and much pretty ones too," Brian said, then walked away with Max.

Tiffany flinched at Brian's statement and looked down. Ryo saw this and then made Tiffany looked at him. "Hey, don't listen to what he said; you're beautiful." Tiffany smiled. "Thanks, Ryo."

"Alright, no PDA, kids," Rowen teased.

Ryo and Tiffany blushed and the others laughed.

"Where to now?" asked Cye.

"Let's go to Walmart," said Kento. "I haven't been there in a while."

The others nodded and walked over to the store. They walked inside and everyone went their separate directions. Kento went to the electronic section, Rowen went to the book section, Sage and Cye went off to get some food that they needed, and Ryo followed Tiffany to wherever she was going.

Tiffany went to the cosmetic section and got herself some eye shadow, mascara, eye liner, blush, foundation, and lip gloss. Tiffany passed by a mirror and looked at herself in the mirror. She noticed that her hair has grown very long in the past eight years. Before, her hair was at her shoulders and now, it was down to the middle of her back.

"Are you ok?" Ryo asked, standing beside her.

Tiffany turned to him and smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just looking at how long my hair has gotten. Can you take me to the book section? I want to see what new books are out there."

"Sure." Ryo led Tiffany to the book section and Tiffany looked at all the different books. She then noticed one called Divergent by Veronica Roth. Tiffany picked it up and read the summary. She found it interesting and decided to get it, along with Insurgent and Allegiant.

"You like to read, too, Tiffany?" Rowen asked, appearing behind the two.

"Yeah, my favorite books are the ones that have romance, action, and humor in it."

"Great, now we have another book-worm in the house," Kento said, walking up to them.

"Did you find anything, Kento?" asked Ryo.

"No, there's nothing new out."

"Let's go up to the front," suggested Rowen. "I'm sure Sage and Cye are done by now and are probably checking out."

They all walked up to the front and, just like Rowen said, saw Sage and Cye at the front as well. After all of the items were paid for, the guys walked out of Walmart and went to a restaurant for some lunch.

* * *

In a castle above the sky, an armored figure sat on a throne, staring at the group through a viewing screen. The armored figure was known as Talpa, and he was the ruler of the Dynasty. As Talpa stared at the group, he kept thinking that Tiffany looked familiar to him. Talpa couldn't put his finger on it until he looked closer and realized who she was.

"Dark Warlords!"

Sekhmet the Warlord of Venom, Cale the Warlord of Corruption, and Dais the Warlord of Illusion appeared before Talpa and bowed before him.

"You summoned us, Master?" Dais asked.

"I want you three to capture this girl," said Talpa.

The Warlords turned to the viewing screen and stared at Tiffany. "Why, Master?" asked Cale.

"I can sense that this girl is connected to the Ancient One and the girl seems to have power greater than the armor of Inferno. We can use this girl to take down the Ronin Warriors and take over the world."

"Master Talpa, let me go down and get the girl," said Sekhmet. "I don't think she'll be that hard to handle."

Talpa thought about it. "Very well, the Dynasty will be behind you; but be warned, if you fail me, your punishment will be severe."

* * *

After lunch, everyone piled into the Jeep and started to drive home. On the way, Ryo realized that they forgot to go the doctor's to give Tiffany a check-up. He decided that it would be better for the doctor to come over and check on Tiffany, for Tiffany might be more comfortable at the house than at a doctor's office.

They arrived back at the mansion and got out of the Jeep when lightening pierced the sky and thunder rumbled. The Ronins looked up and knew what was happening; the Dynasty was going to attack. They were right when Sekhmet and Dynasty soldiers appeared before them.

"Hello, Ronins," said Sekhmet. "Miss me?"

"Yeah right," commented Kento.

Sekhmet looked at Tiffany and smiled at her. "Hello there, girl. Master Talpa wants to see you."

Tiffany widen her eyes; this couldn't be happening.

"She's not going anywhere," Ryo growled, and then put on his sub-armor; the others followed suit.

"Attack!" Sekhmet yelled and the Dynasty soldiers charged at the Ronins.

Tiffany's rage suddenly consumed her and she stepped in front of the Ronins. Tiffany raised her hands and a wall of fire appeared, separating the two sides.

"What the?!" exclaimed Sekhmet.

Tiffany shot her hands forward and the fire consumed the army, destroyed every single one. She glared at Sekhmet and narrowed her eyes. Vines shot out and wrapped around Sekhmet, holding him to the ground. Tiffany calmly walked up to Sekhmet and stared at him. "You tell Talpa that I will never serve him and that he'll pay for what he did to my clan." Tiffany raised her hand and the vines threw Sekhmet up into the air. Tiffany waved her hand to the side and the vines smacked Sekhmet, sending him flying into the forest. She turned around and saw the guys staring at her, eyes wide. Tiffany sighed. "Looks like I have some explaining to do." The guys only nodded.

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	4. Chapter 4

**Hello, new chapter everyone! Sorry that it's short. ****I don't own anything except for Tiffany.**

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Chapter 4

In the living room, Tiffany was sitting on recliner staring at the guys. Rowen, Sage, and Cye were sitting on one couch while Ryo, Kento, and Yulie were sitting on another. Mia walked in, holding a cup of tea, and gave it to Tiffany. She thanked her then took a sip and Mia sat down on another recliner.

"Before I start, I don't want any interruptions, ok?" Tiffany asked and the guys nodded. Tiffany took a deep breath and let it out. She then began her story. "The reason I know about Talpa and the Dynasty is because I was born in the Ancient One's clan." The guys widen their eyes. "My father and the Ancient One were really good friends so I would always see him.

"When I was five, I could control over all of the elements but I didn't know how to use it properly. The Ancient One was the one who taught me how to use them and how to control them. He became my instructor and I would always look forward to see him. Then, when I turned eight, after I mastered the elements, I found out that I was able to have control over the powers of light. My parents didn't know what was going on but the Ancient One thought that my powers were connected to the Ronin Warriors' armors. He thought that I would fight alongside you in the battle with Talpa." Tiffany looked down and sighed. "That didn't happen though. When I was ten, Talpa found out about me and wanted my powers for his own use. He attacked my village but before Talpa could get to me; my parents had me leave the village with two escorts. They told me that when the fight was over, they would send someone to get me and bring me back. After two weeks, these men came and kidnapped me. They knew about my powers and decided to study me. I didn't know what that meant at first but when they started doing experiments on me, I knew what they wanted to do." Tiffany stopped talking and brought her knees to her chest. Tiffany held back tears as she thought of the eight years of hell she went through.

Kento was about to ask what they did to her when a warning look from Sage and a shake of the head from Rowen shut him up.

"Do you know that we are the Ronin Warriors?" asked Cye, hoping to change the subject.

Tiffany nodded. "I actually knew when I first met you but I didn't say anything because I didn't know what you guys would be like." She looked up at them and smiled. "Now I know that you guys are nothing like them."

"May I ask how you got out?" Mia asked.

"I became good friends with one of the men that worked there; I think his name was Zack. Anyway, he would come to me and talk to me, to get my mind off of everything. Then, one night, after a little…visit, Zack had enough and helped me to escape. He told me to run as fast as I can and to get as far away from there as possible. I ran and never looked back."

A knock suddenly sounded at the door. Sage got up and went to answer the door. They heard talking and Sage walked back in with a doctor; he was a middle-aged man with short black hair and black eyes. At the sight of the doctor, Tiffany shot up and bolted up the stairs.

"I'm sorry," apologized Sage. "We think that she was mistreated by a doctor."

"It's all right," the doctor said. "I understand perfectly."

"I'll go get her," Ryo said, getting up. He walked upstairs to Tiffany's room and knocked on the door. When there wasn't an answer, Ryo walked in and saw that Tiffany wasn't in there. He heard faint whimpering and looked under the bed. Tiffany was lying under the bed, eyes closed and her body was shaking. Ryo gently touched Tiffany's arm and Tiffany jerked away from his touch. "Hey, that man is not going to hurt you. He's just here to get a check up to see how you're doing and if you need medical attention."

Tiffany looked at Ryo. "You promise he won't hurt me."

"I promise, and I'll be with you through all of it."

Tiffany got out from under the bed and widen her eyes at who was standing in the doorway. Ryo turned around and saw the doctor standing there. "Your friends said it might be better if I was in here," the doctor said, holding out his hand. "I'm Dr. Charles."

"I'm Ryo." Ryo grasped Charles's hand and they shook hands. He then gestured to Tiffany. "This is Tiffany.

Charles smiled at her. "It's nice to meet you."

Tiffany only nodded; she still didn't trust this man.

"Do you mind if I stay with her?" Ryo asked.

"Of course."

Ryo guided Tiffany to the bed and they both sat down on it. He grabbed Tiffany's hand and rubbed soothing circles using his thumb.

"Tiffany, all I'm going to do is a little check up to see how you are and if you need any medicine or anything," said Charles. "May I ask how old you are?"

"I'm 18," answered Tiffany.

Throughout the whole checkup, Charles talked to Tiffany to make her feel more comfortable. He also told her what he was going to do so she wouldn't freak out. Tiffany started to feel better but once Charles took out a syringe, she froze and she started to panic.

Ryo saw this too and squeezed Tiffany's hand. Tiffany hid her face in Ryo's chest so she wouldn't have to look at the syringe. Ryo whispered soothing words into Tiffany's ear as Charles wiped a spot on Tiffany's arm and then inserted the needle into her arm. Tiffany flinched at first but relaxed after a few minutes.

"Everything looks good," said Charles, putting everything away. "I would just make sure she eats and that she takes this." Charles gave Ryo a bottle of medicine. "It's nothing serious but she's got a very small fever. Have her take this every six hours and the fever will be gone in a couple of days."

Ryo nodded. "Thank you, doctor."

"You're welcome. It was nice to meet you, Tiffany."

"You too."

Charles left and Ryo started to get up when Tiffany hugged him. "Thank you; for being by my side." Ryo hugged her back and then said, "I'll be here if you ever need anything."

* * *

At the Dynasty, Talpa was furious that Sekhmet didn't the girl but was surprised when he found out that Tiffany was from the Ancient One's clan.

_This is very interesting,_ thought Talpa. _Someone else is from the monk's clan. I guess we'll have to use a different approach to get the girl._

* * *

**Things are going to heat up in the next couple of chapters. Review and a new chapter will be up on Monday.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello. I'm sorry for not updating like I said but I wasn't feeling good on Monday and yesterday I had a writer's block. So here is the next chapter and remember, I don't own Ronin Warriors but Tiffany belongs to me.**

* * *

Chapter 5

Later that day, the guys were outside training while Tiffany was sitting on the porch, reading Divergent. Tiffany was immediately hooked onto the book and couldn't put it down. Every once in a while, Tiffany would sneak glances at the guys and watch them fight each other. She was taught how to fight using her powers but Tiffany wanted to learn how to fight without her powers. Watching the guys got Tiffany excited and she wanted to learn more about fighting.

"I win again!" Kento exclaimed after throwing Rowen to the ground.

"One day that big ego of yours is going to get you, Kento," Rowen said, getting up.

"Yeah, yeah. Hey, can we have a break? I'm getting hungry."

"I think Mia should be starting dinner by now," said Cye.

"Let's go inside," Ryo said. "We'll continue either tonight or tomorrow."

The guys started to head inside but Tiffany stayed on the porch.

"You coming, Tiffany?" Sage asked.

"No, I'll stay out here for a while," answered Tiffany. "Let me know when dinner is ready."

Sage nodded then walked inside with the others. Once Tiffany was sure they were gone, she got up and raised her hand. A punching bag came out and Tiffany walked up to it; she started to kick and punch the bag.

"What are you doing?"

Tiffany spun around to see Ryo standing on the porch, watching her. Tiffany tried to think of an excuse as Ryo walked up to her and stood by the bag. "You're doing it wrong." Tiffany stared at him, confusion on her face. "Don't try to put all of your weight into an attack; spread it out evenly. Fighting comes from your core." Ryo got into a fighting stance and Tiffany tried to copy him. Ryo smirked at this. "You're too tense." Ryo walked up behind her and placed his hand on Tiffany's back. Tiffany let out a small gasp as she felt Ryo standing behind her. "Loosen up and keep your feet firmly planted on the ground." Tiffany did as Ryo said. "Now, using your core, punch the bag." Tiffany took a deep breath and let it out. She brought her fist back and swung it out, hitting the bag. Tiffany smiled when she saw the bag move farther than it did before.

"Thank you," Tiffany said, spinning around to face Ryo.

"No problem," said Ryo. "But may I ask why you are learning how to fight when you can fight using the elements."

"I don't want to rely on the elements to fight. What if I somehow lose the link with the elements and I can't defend myself? I want to be prepared for when something like that happens again."

"Again?"

Tiffany looked away from Ryo. "They had a collar around my ankle that prevented me from using my powers. I never learned how to fight without my powers so I didn't know what to do. I don't want to be weak again."

"You are not weak." Ryo brushed some of Tiffany's hair out of her face. "You're a strong and brave girl, not to mention pretty."

Tiffany smirked. "You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"Tiffany, look at me." Tiffany looked up at Ryo and stared at him. "Do I look like I would lie to you?" Tiffany said nothing but continued to stare at Ryo. The two started to lean towards each other.

"Hey, lovebirds!" called Kento. "It's time for dinner."

The two broke away and walked into the house to have some food.

* * *

Ever since that night, Ryo has been helping Tiffany learn how to fight. They would train after the Ronins would be done for the day. Tiffany asked Ryo if he would keep quiet about it because she wanted to surprise the others. Ryo said he would but if one of the guys found out, then Ryo would tell them what's going on. So far, no one knew that Tiffany was learning how to fight.

One day, after Kento won another fight, Tiffany thought it was time to show the guys what she had learned.

"Hey, Kento," Tiffany called, walking up to him. "You and me."

Everyone, except for Ryo, was surprised by this. "Are you sure, Tiffany?" Kento asked.

"What? Scared to fight a girl?"

"No." Kento got into a fighting stance and so did Tiffany. As they were circling each other, Tiffany was strategizing. She knew Kento was strong but in order to win this fight, Tiffany had to use both her size and speed to beat Kento.

Kento swung his fist at Tiffany but she dodged it. Kento tried again and Tiffany saw an opening. She dodged Kento's attack and then punched him in the stomach. Kento let out a gasp of pain and, not waiting for him to recover, Tiffany swiped out her leg, making Kento fall on his butt. Tiffany placed her foot on top of Kento's stomach, pinning him to the ground.

"You're good," Kento said, then swiped his arm at Tiffany's other leg, causing her to go off-balance. Kento took this time to knock Tiffany off of him and get back up. He then tackled Tiffany to the ground and held her there. Tiffany looked up at Kento and widen her eyes. Instead of seeing Kento, she saw the man who tortured her for eight years.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" asked the man. "Are you terrified?"

Tiffany screamed in terror and struggled to get away from the man; she couldn't go back to that place.

"Tiffany!"

Tiffany looked up and saw Ryo staring at her, worry on his face. She looked around and saw that the man was nowhere to be seen. Tiffany leaned into Ryo and started to cry. Ryo wrapped his arms around her and held her. "He was here," Tiffany sobbed. "He was going to take me back."

"Shh," Ryo said, stroking her hair. "You're safe; he's not here." Ryo picked up Tiffany and started to carry her into the house. He walked upstairs to her room and sat down on the bed. Ryo continued to hold Tiffany as she trembled in his arms. After a while, Tiffany stopped trembling and the two sat in silence. "What caused you to think that someone was here to come and get you?" Ryo asked.

Tiffany looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you and Kento were fighting and he had you pinned to the ground. All of a suddenly, you started screaming and thrashing about."

"I honestly don't know. When Kento pinned me down, I looked up to see the man who tortured me; not Kento."

Ryo nodded. "Do you feel better?"

"A little."

"Ok, I'm going to tell the guys what happened." Ryo started to get up but Tiffany grabbed his arm. "Can you stay with me? I don't want to be alone." Ryo nodded and sat back down. He held Tiffany in his arms and Tiffany placed her head on Ryo's chest. Ryo leaned back onto the bed, bringing Tiffany with him. Tiffany closed her eyes and fell asleep. Ryo heard Tiffany's steady breathing and looked at her, smiling when he saw her fast asleep.

A knock sounded at the door.

"Yeah?"

The door opened and Sage walked in. He walked over to them and sat down on the bed. "How is she?"

"She's fine," answered Ryo. "She thought she saw someone who was going to take her back."

Sage nodded then placed a hand on Tiffany's head. A soft glow covered her and after the glow was gone, Tiffany looked more relaxed and peaceful. "Hopefully she won't have any nightmares now."

"Thank you."

"I'm going downstairs to tell the guys." Sage stared at the two for a minute. "I'm guessing you're going to stay here for a while?"

"Yeah, she didn't want to be alone."

"I understand." Sage left the room, leaving the two in peace. Ryo looked at Tiffany one more time then closed his eyes and went to sleep.

* * *

**Like? Don't like? Review and tell me :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi. I have a new chapter and I just want to let you all know that I won't be updating for a week. I'm going to New York with my high school choir and band. I wanted to get this chapter in before I leave but once I get back, you guys will get a major update.**

**I don't own Ronin Warriors but Tiffany belongs to me.**

* * *

Chapter 6

A few days have passed and Tiffany had become an excellent fighter. She was happy that she could now fight without the use of her elements. Tiffany told herself that she'll only use the elements to fight was when she couldn't fight someone stronger than her or when she's defending herself.

Even the Ronins have gotten stronger and they think they can take on Talpa; well, Kento does, not everyone else.

"Come on, guys," said Kento. "I bet that when we can take down Talpa."

"Kento, we aren't nearly as close as to destroying Talpa," said Rowen. "Just because we have been training everyday doesn't mean we are a match for Talpa."

"Rowen's right, Kento," Sage said. "Also, we haven't learned how to control the white armor's power yet."

"The white armor of Inferno?" Tiffany asked.

Everyone stared at her. "Do you know about it?" asked Cye.

Tiffany nodded. "The Ancient One would tell me about it. He said that part of my job in helping you guys was to be the link between the white armor and your armors."

"What do you mean?" Ryo asked.

"As you know, energy has a flow and a connection. When you five bring your armors together to make the white armor, part of your energy goes over to Ryo. The swords of fervor collect the energy and use it to power the armor. The only problem with that is the swords don't know how much energy to take from you armors. My job is to be the balance between the energy and the sword."

"Meaning?" Kento asked, already lost in Tiffany's explanation.

"I'm like a reminder to the swords how much power the armor should really have. The energy of your armors goes through me which goes to the swords which powers the white armor. I can sense when the white armor has enough power and can stop the energy from getting to the swords."

"Basically, you can give the white armor the exact amount of power without draining any of us," said Rowen.

"Right, but there is only one problem." Tiffany hesitated before answering, "This only works if I'm there when the white armor is activated."

The guys understood what Tiffany was saying. If they wanted to beat Talpa using the white armor, they would have to take Tiffany into the Dynasty with them.

"Isn't there any other way?" Ryo asked.

Tiffany shook her head. "You can train all you want but it won't change anything."

* * *

Later that night, after everyone had eaten dinner, the guys had retired to their rooms to think over what Tiffany said. They wanted to use the white armor without being drained, but they didn't want to bring Tiffany into the Dynasty. They knew that Talpa already wanted her and they didn't want her to get hurt.

Ryo was lying on his bed, thinking over what Tiffany told him today. He looked at his armor orb on the nightstand and sighed. _Ancient One, please show us another way of handling the white armor without losing Tiffany._

* * *

In the Dynasty, Talpa had summoned his Warlords into the throne room. He decided to go back to focusing on getting the Ronin Warriors first.

"Yes Master Talpa?" Cale asked, once he and the other Warlords got in the room.

"I want you three to capture the Ronin Warriors," said Talpa.

"What about the girl?" asked Sekhmet.

"Don't worry about her; I already have a way to get the girl. Just get the Ronin Warriors and I'll handle the girl."

The Warlords bowed before Talpa. "Yes, Master Talpa."

* * *

The next day, the guys all had a dream about the Ancient One telling them to find the soul of their armors. They all decided to go out on their own and train.

"Are you sure?" Tiffany asked Ryo. When Ryo told Tiffany that the guys were going off on their own, Tiffany thought it was a bad idea and tried to change his mind.

"Yeah, why?" Ryo asked.

"I don't know; I feel like something bad is going to happen."

Ryo looked at her and his expression softened. He walked up to Tiffany and grabbed her hands. Tiffany looked up at Ryo and stared at him. "We won't be gone long," said Ryo. "Probably a week at the most."

"But what if you don't come back?"

"We'll be back, Tiffany; don't worry."

Tiffany wrapped her arms around Ryo and held him close. Ryo was startled for a moment then wrapped his arms around her. "Is there any way I can make you change your mind?"

Ryo smirked. "We'll be fine."

Tiffany looked up and opened her mouth to speak but decided against it. She wanted to tell him that she had feelings for him but she didn't want to get shut down. So instead, Tiffany said, "Be careful."

"I will." Ryo then did something that threw Tiffany off; he gave her a peck on the cheek. "I'll see you later." Ryo left the room, leaving Tiffany speechless. She couldn't believe that Ryo had kissed her, well, somewhat kissed her. Tiffany placed a hand on her cheek and smiled. She walked out onto the balcony and watched as the guys walked off to train. _Please be careful, my friends,_ Tiffany thought. _I don't want to lose any of you._

* * *

Cye was in the lake, swimming, gaining strength from the water. He kept on thinking about the dream he had about the Ancient One. Cye tried to think of what the Ancient's message meant when a spear appeared and headed towards him. Cye dodged the spear and looked around to see where it came from. Dynasty soldiers were in the lake, weapons ready and poised to strike. _Figures that they would be here,_ Cye thought before charging at them. He took down all of the soldiers then swam towards the surface; Cye resurfaced and saw more Dynasty soldiers. "Armor of Torrent! Dao Shin!" Cye's armor appeared on him and he took out his yari and started to destroy the soldiers on the barges, but more appeared to replace the ones that had fallen. "There's no end to them," said Cye.

"That's right, Cye of the Torrent!"

Cye turned around and felt a wave of poison hit him. Cye landed on the ground and weakly looked up. Sekhmet stood over him, smiling triumphantly. "Sekhmet," mumbled Cye. "Should have known." Cye then passed out from the amount of poison he received. Sekhmet laughed and then picked up Cye. A Dynasty gate appeared and Sekhmet went through it, with Cye over his shoulder.

* * *

Sage walked through the forest and then stopped by a pond. He knelt down and started to drink the water. Suddenly, the sky grew dark and thunder rumbled. Sage instantly knew that the Dynasty was here and put on his sub-armor. A dark chuckle filled the air. "It's been a while, Sage of Halo."

"Come out, Cale!" yelled Sage.

Cale appeared before Sage, wearing his full armor. "I've heard that you have a friend that controls the elements."

"Yeah, so?"

"After we destroy you, we'll take the girl."

"Like that's going to happen. Armor of Halo! Dao Chi!" Sage's armor appeared on him and he took out his nodachi. Cale took out his nodachi as well and charged at Sage. The two started fighting and swords could be heard clashing against each other. "You have improved, Halo," said Cale after a few minutes of fighting.

"It's enough to beat you," said Sage.

"Oh really?" A Dynasty gate appeared behind Sage and Cale smirked. "Let's see if you can dodge this. Black Lightening Slash!" Cale sent his attack over to Sage and it hit him straight on, sending Sage flying through the gate; with Cale following.

* * *

Kento was standing in the desert with his full armor on, breathing heavily. Once he got to the desert, these figures made of sand appeared and started to attack him. Kento tried to destroy them but every time he hit the sand, it would just heal itself and strike harder. The figures circled Kento, waiting for him to make the next move. Something then told Kento to strike at the center. "Iron Rock Crusher!" Kento spun his naginata and then pointed it at the figures. The ground raised up and destroyed them; Kento smiled at his work.

"Very impressive, Hardrock."

"Dais!" Kento yelled. "Come out and face me!"

A Dynasty gate appeared and Dais stood before it. "Hello, Kento of Hardrock. You are just in time to join your friends in the Dynasty."

"What do you mean?"

"Sage of the Halo and Cye of the Torrent are being held in the Dynasty as we speak."

"What?"

"Yes, and if you want to join them…" The gates opened and Dais stepped through it. "Then come and try to save them." Kento hesitated for a moment before following Dais through the gates.

* * *

Tiffany had just finished reading Divergent and was now looking at the sky. She then felt something nudge her and looked down. White Blaze stared at her and then nudged her again. Tiffany smiled and scratched the tiger behind the ears, earning a purr from the tiger. Suddenly, White Blaze started growling and stood in front of Tiffany. Tiffany looked off to see what the tiger was growling at. A person then appeared out of the forest and was walking to them. The person was wearing a light green tank, white pants, and brown boots. She also had long blue hair in a high pony tail and blue eyes. An amulet was hung around the neck and the person was wearing white gloves that went up to her elbows. Tiffany widen her eyes in recognition. "Kayura?"

* * *

Ryo and Rowen were heading back to the mansion. They feared something bad had happened and they were rushing to get back home. Both of them had a visit from a woman saying that their friends had been captured and that she was going to pay their friend a visit. Ryo knew that the woman was talking about Tiffany and he didn't want anything bad to happen to her. They hoped that they would get back to avoid Tiffany being taken by the Dynasty.

* * *

"Hello, Tiffany. It's been a while," Kayura said.

"What are you doing here?" asked Tiffany.

"Your parents sent me to get you."

"How did you know where I was?"

"The Ancient One led me here."

Tiffany wanted to go with her but White Blaze's growling kept her from leaving. "Come, let us go," Kayura said, holding out her hand. "Your parents are waiting for you." Tiffany hesitated before walked towards Kayura. White Blaze stepped in front of Tiffany and whined at her, telling her to stay. "It's all right, White Blaze," said Tiffany. "She's a friend; she won't hurt me."

"Tiffany!"

Tiffany turned around and saw Ryo and Rowen running up to her. "You guys won't believe this, but Kayura is here to take me back home!"

Ryo and Rowen looked at each other before turning to look at Tiffany. "You can't trust her, Tiffany," said Rowen. "She's working for Talpa."

"No she's not. Kayura is the disciple of the Ancient One."

"He's right, Tiffany," said Ryo. "Kayura told us herself that the Dynasty has captured Sage, Cye, and Kento."

Tiffany turned to Kayura. "Is this true?"

"Tiffany, would you really believe them?" Kayura asked. "You know I would never work for Talpa."

"Don't listen to her, Tiffany," said Rowen. "She's lying to you."

Tiffany looked at Ryo and Rowen and back to Kayura. She was confused and didn't know who to trust. Part of her was eagered to go back home and see her parents but another part of her didn't believe what Kayura was saying. "Kayura, where were you when our village was attacked?" This was the only way to find out if Kayura was telling the truth.

"What do you mean, Tiffany?" Kayura asked. "Our village was never attacked."

Tears brimmed Tiffany's eyes as she realized that Ryo and Rowen were telling the truth. "Yes it was. Talpa came and attacked our village. You were there; I saw you!"

"I guess my acting skills are a little rusty." A Dynasty gate appeared behind Kayura. "Talpa will have your armors and you, Tiffany." Kayura stepped through the gate and it disappeared after the gates closed.

Tiffany collapsed to the ground as tears ran down her face. "This isn't happening," Tiffany whispered. Ryo brought Tiffany into a hug as Tiffany buried her face in Ryo's chest, wanting to forget everything that had happened today.

* * *

**I'm going to try to have this story similar to the series. I know that this isn't exactly what happened but we all know that Sage, Cye, and Kento get captured and Ryo and Rowen go in the Dynasty to rescue them and if you didn't, then I'm sorry. Anyway, hope you liked this chapter and remember, no updating for a week so don't panic; I'll be back soon. Bye, and don't forget to review =)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello, everyone. I'm so so so so so sorry for not updating in a while. After I got back from New York, which was awesome by the way, I had a major writer's block and every time I went to write, I got stuck. Then, when I finally got inspiration to write, my mother had to go to the hospital because she had a pain in her upper thigh area. I was worried that it would be something major but it turns out that she pulled a muscle, probably from working as a post woman, so I had to help take care of her because she couldn't move for she had to stay off her leg.**

**Anyways, my mom is fine now so here is a new chapter for all of you. I kind of used quotes from episodes 28 and 29 of Ronin Warriors but put my own little twist on it.**

**I don't own Ronin Warriors but I do own Tiffany.**

* * *

Chapter 7

Ryo and Rowen were in the dining room with Mia sitting across from them. They had just told Mia what happened and Mia was shocked. Yulie had also heard what happened and he couldn't believe it either. "Are Sage, Cye, and Kento really in the Dynasty?" he asked.

"Yeah. We didn't believe Kayura at first until she showed us the weapons of Sage and Cye," said Rowen.

"Tell me more about this…this Lady Kayura," said Mia.

"We don't know a lot about her," said Ryo. "But Tiffany seems to know her."

Everyone turned to Tiffany, who was sitting on a window ledge, staring out of the window. "She was my friend…and she was the disciple of the Ancient One."

"She's the disciple of the Ancient One?!" everyone exclaimed.

Tiffany nodded, not breaking her gaze from the window.

"But if Kayura is the disciple of the Ancient, then why is she following Talpa?" Mia asked.

"I don't know."

"Well, now we know that nothing good can come from her," said Rowen.

Tiffany flinched at Rowen's statement and Mia saw this. She then gave Ryo and Rowen a look saying change-the-subject.

"We should think of a plan to rescue the guys."

Ryo suddenly stood up from his chair and stared down at Rowen. "What do we need a plan for? Our friends could be getting tortured while we're sitting here thinking, Rowen."

"Hey, cool it Ryo. If we charge into the Dynasty, then Talpa will easily capture us."

"I don't care; someone's got to save our friends."

Rowen stood up as well and stared Ryo down. "They're my friends too, Ryo."

"Both of you stop it!" yelled Mia. "Talpa would just love to see you two fighting."

Ryo and Rowen stared at Mia and realized that she was right.

"Sorry man," said Ryo.

"It's fine, but you can't charge into the Dynasty without a plan," said Rowen. "That's why I'm going with you."

Ryo stared at Rowen and he smiled at Ryo. Rowen held out is hand and Ryo grabbed it, smiling as well. A hand was placed on top of theirs and they were shocked when they saw it was Tiffany. "I'm coming too," she said.

"No," Ryo said.

"What?"

"You're not coming, Tiffany."

"Why not?"

"Talpa is after you and if you go with us into the Dynasty, he'll be able to capture you."

"He's after you too yet you're still going in."

"She's got a point there," muttered Rowen.

Ryo glared at him.

"What I think Ryo is trying to say is that you might be safer staying here than coming with us."

"Really? What if after you two leave, Talpa comes and tries to get me? Or what if he threatens to hurt Mia and Yulie unless I don't go with him? I think I'm safer coming with you than staying here," said Tiffany.

Ryo and Rowen stared at each other, trying to decide on what to do. They didn't want Tiffany to get hurt but she did have a point. Talpa would do just about anything to get what he wants, even threaten to hurt others.

"All right, you can come," said Ryo. "Just stay close and don't go off on your own."

Tiffany smiled then nodded.

"We should leave tomorrow," Rowen said. "That way we'll be rested and we can look for a way into Talpa's castle."

"Ok."

* * *

That night, Tiffany was in her room, getting ready for bed. She had just finished taking a shower and she was now running a brush through her hair. A knock sounded at her door and Tiffany turned towards it. "Yes?"

"Can I come in?" Tiffany recognized the voice as Ryo and smiled. "Sure." The door opened and Ryo walked into the room. He closed the door behind him and stood there. "What is it?"

"I really didn't want you to go into the Dynasty with us," started Ryo. "Because I didn't want to see you get hurt."

Tiffany stood up from her chair and walked up to Ryo. "I'm scared, too."

Ryo stared at her. "What?"

"Fighting against the Dynasty, it scares me for I don't know what will happen. But I'm still going because Talpa needs to be stopped, and I have to break Talpa's hold on Kayura."

"You care a lot about her, don't you?"

Tiffany nodded. "She was my best friend when I was little. We used to do everything together; even train together." Tears pricked at Tiffany's eyes as she thought of her friend. "Kayura was like the sister I never had."

Ryo could see that Tiffany missed her friend and wanted to help her. "We'll get your friend back, I promise."

Tiffany smiled at him and then gave him a quick peck on the lips. Ryo stared at her in shock and Tiffany realized what she had done. "I'm so sorry; I shouldn't have done that." Tiffany turned away from Ryo but Ryo grabbed Tiffany's wrist and turned her back to him. He cupped Tiffany's face, leaned down, and kissed her on the lips. Tiffany melted into the kiss and wrapped her arms around Ryo's neck, running her fingers through his hair. Ryo picked up Tiffany and carried her over to the bed. He gently placed her on the bed and then got on top of her. Ryo stared down at Tiffany, stroking her hair.

"You're so beautiful," Ryo whispered.

Tiffany smiled and brought Ryo back down and kissed him. Ryo ran his tongue along Tiffany's bottom lip, begging for an entrance. Tiffany gave Ryo access and Ryo slipped his tongue into her mouth. The two continued to kiss for a while until they needed air. They pulled apart, breathing heavily; Ryo rested his forehead against Tiffany's.

"Now I'm going to try extra hard to make sure you stay safe," said Ryo.

"And I'll make sure that you won't get carried away," Tiffany said.

"What are you talking about?"

"If you're going to spend most of your time trying to protect me, then I'll have to remind you that I'm not the only person with you. Rowen is also coming with us and I know that you don't want me to get hurt, but Rowen will need your help also. We also need to focus on rescuing Kento, Cye, and Sage so let's try and not get carried away."

Ryo nodded. "All right, I'll try not to be over-protective, but no promises."

"Its fine, trying is better than nothing."

Ryo gave Tiffany a quick kiss and then got off the bed. "I should let you get some rest."

Tiffany grabbed Ryo's arm. "Stay with me?"

"Sure." Ryo crawled into the bed beside her and wrapped his arm around her waist. He pulled Tiffany close to him and they both fell asleep in each other's embrace.

* * *

In the Dynasty, Kayura was explaining to Talpa and the Dark Warlords about her encounter with the Ancient One.

"Are you certain, Lady Kayura?" asked Talpa.

"I'm not sure if he was the real Ancient One, but he was carrying the Ancient's staff," said Kayura.

"Only the Ancient One can wield the staff," said Dais.

"But the Ancient One is dead," implied Sekhmet.

"Well from what I saw, the Ancient looked well for someone who's supposed to be dead," said Kayura.

"Master, should we be concerned?" asked Cale.

"Ignore him," said Talpa. "He is no threat to us."

"Are you sure, Master?" Dais asked.

"Yes, Sage of the Halo, Cye of the Torrent, and Kento of Hardrock are in my clutches. Lady Kayura, are you ready to lure the other two and the girl into the Dynasty?"

"Yes, Master," Kayura said, bowing before Talpa.

"Lady Kayura, perhaps you would need some help with capturing the girl. From my experience, the girl has great powers and you might need help," insisted Sekhmet.

"Thank you for the kind offer, Sekhmet, but I can handle this on my own," Kayura told Sekhmet before turning around and walking away.

"I'm looking forward to your victory, Lady Kayura," Talpa called out before Kayura left.

* * *

The next day, Ryo, Rowen, and Tiffany were well rested and were getting ready to leave the mansion. They were going to the city because they believed that there would be a Dynasty gate somewhere in the city. Mia and Yulie were tagging along to see if they could help locating the gate. Just as they were about to leave, the sound of a staff clinging caught their attention. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked down the road, where a man wearing a white and blue robe, sandals, a straw hat, and carrying the Ancient's staff was walking towards them.

"The Ancient One?" Ryo asked.

"He's alive?" Rowen wondered.

"What do you mean 'he's alive'?" asked Tiffany. "Of course he's alive." She then walked up to him and smiled. "Ancient One, can you help us find the Dynasty gate?"

The man removed his hat and Tiffany gasped.

"It can't be," said Mia.

"Ryo of the Wildfire, it's been a long time," Anubis said, smiling at the group.

"Anubis, you're alive?" exclaimed Ryo.

Tiffany took a step back from Anubis, tears creeping at her eyes. "What did you do to him? What did you do to the Ancient One?!"

"Tiffany," Ryo started, walking up to her. "The Ancient One is dead."

"What?" Tiffany couldn't believe what she had heard.

"It's true, Tiffany," said Rowen. "During our first battle with Talpa, the Ancient created a portal for us to get to the Dynasty; he sacrificed himself for us."

"No…you're lying." Tiffany shook her head as tears ran down her face.

Ryo brought her into a hug and held her. "I'm sorry, Tiffany."

Tiffany turned to Anubis and stared at him. "It would make sense why you're carrying his staff, but I don't know why the Ancient gave the staff to you; it's supposed to go to Kayura."

"That's why I am here," said Anubis.

"What do you mean?" asked Rowen.

"The Ancient One brought me back so I could break Talpa's hold on Kayura and have her follow the Ancient One's path again."

* * *

**Again, sorry for not updating for a while but I'm hoping to update another chapter sometime this week. If not, then I will update next week. And my trip to New York was good; it basically felt like I was in Chicago only it was more crowed, had lots of traffic, and was a lot bigger. If anyone wants to know about my time there or what I did, just PM me and ask and I'll answer them. Till next time and don't forget to review ;)**


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